


Unexpected

by bigblueboxat221b



Series: How Does Your Marriage Work? [5]
Category: Come From Away - Sankoff & Hein
Genre: Comfort/Angst, Don't copy to another site, F/M, Potential Loss of Family in New York, September 11 Attacks, Stuck in Gander
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-09
Updated: 2019-08-09
Packaged: 2020-08-13 10:08:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20172481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bigblueboxat221b/pseuds/bigblueboxat221b
Summary: When Diane calls her sister, the news is agonisingly uncertain. David had been in New York - but nobody has heard from him since.





	Unexpected

**Author's Note:**

> Please note the specific angst here. The POV character's son is missing in New York on September 11. If that sounds like something you don't feel you should read, please find something else. Take care of yourself <3
> 
> Disclaimer: This is not RPF  
While Nick and Diane in the musical are based on real people, this story is set strictly in the fictional representation of them in the musical, ‘Come From Away’. I haven’t done any research into their personal lives, and anything further than what is canon in the musical is completely made up, with the exception of some geographical details. This is not intended to represent the real life couple in any way, their thoughts, attitudes or actions. It’s just my brain saying, ‘what if?’, as it does to every story that resonates with me.

“It’s Diane. No, I’m fine…_where’s David_?”

Diane drew a shuddering breath at her sister’s voice. “I don’t know,” Sharon said brokenly. “He was meant to be flying to Boston today, but he decided to go early. He left me a message yesterday. Diane,” her voice broke, “he was in New York.”

“No,” Diane whispered, shaking.

“I haven’t heard from him,” Sharon said, a thread of anxious panic in her voice. “He might be stuck somewhere. Everyone’s trying to get out of the city, make phone calls…nothing’s working properly.”

“Oh my God.” Diane dropped her head into her hands. “I-I have to go. Please keep trying. Please. Call someone in Gander if you hear anything. I’m staying at the Academy, they’ll get a message to me. I’ll call again soon.” She took a deep breath. “I love you.”

“Love you too, sis,” came the reply.

Shaking, Diane dropped the receiver. Somehow she stood and walked a few paces, allowing the person behind her to take the phone. Her head swirled with fear and worry. Why had David decided to go to New York? He was due in Boston today. Who did he even know in New York? Where would he have gone? Would he have tried to help, or fled with everyone else?

_That’s a chair. I should sit._

The words were short and simple, and Diane couldn’t think. She took enough steps to reach the chair and sank into it. Everything was soft around her; people moved past. She thought someone spoke to her; something landed on her shoulder, and there was a face in front of her for a while. The mouth moved but she didn’t hear anything; the blurred image produced a sound of similar resolution.

At some point, something warm was placed in her hands. Diane didn’t know what to do with it, but her hands cupped automatically around it. The heat speed slowly into her skin, fingers slowly matching the temperature until the thing she was holding felt only hard, not warm. A disconnected part of her brain wondered how long she could sit here. It pointed out how useful sleep would be. It mentioned that nice man from the plane.

“Diane?” A voice in front of her pulled her back ever so slightly.

“Yes.” Her reply was automatic, and it took several seconds before she recognised the face peering at her anxiously. “Nick.” _The nice man from the plane._

“Are you alright?” he asked. She stood up, taking a few uncertain steps before turning towards him. He reached out, taking the thing from her hand.

Oh. It was a mug.

Of course.

“My son,” Diane whispered. “David.”

“Your son?” Nick repeated.

Diane felt tears well as she fought the lump in her throat. Talking about it was shattering the wall she’d put up around her emotions, and they were coming flooding forward. “He was in New York,” she whispered, forcing the words out. “Nobody’s heard from him.”

“Oh my Lord,” Nick murmured.

The tears burst forth and Diane’s head dropped in her hands, her whole body shaking with sobs. It was a relief, the waves of fear and worry bursting out of her without reserve.

“Oh dear…come on, sit down,” Nick’s voice came, and an arm around her shoulders. Blinded by her tears, she allowed herself be guided until she could sit down. There was someone beside her and without thinking she turned into the warmth. It was comforting, having someone hold her, some kind of soothing words rolling over her head, white noise to the sobs wrenching from her.

Diane had no idea how long they sat there; her fear kept the tears coming, her shaking not subsiding no matter how hard she tried. The person beside her – she’d given up wondering who it was, it didn’t even matter – was steady and warm. Their words had trailed off, but their arms were solid around her. As exhaustion overtook her and the sobs finally began to trail off, she could feel a heartbeat pulsing in the chest she was leaning against. It was grounding and alive. David’s heart would sound like this, she thought; wherever he was, she couldn’t imagine it not pulsing with life.

Exhausted, Diane sank back, hands falling into her lap. Her face felt hot and swollen, her muscles sore with use. Someone pressed something soft into her hand. Tissues, she realised. It felt like she was moving in slow motion, raising them to her face, giving her cheeks and eyes a half-hearted wipe.

“Do you want to lie down?” The voice was quiet. It was close, too; Diane thought it was probably the person she’d just clung to for an indeterminate amount of time.

“Yes,” she thought, but could only manage to nod. An arm around her shoulders again, and the last of her energy was spent on walking where she was guided, finally into a room made dim from curtains drawn against daylight. There was something to lie on, though it wasn’t a real mattress; some kind of gym equipment, maybe. A blanket over her was welcome weight.

“I’ll come right back,” the same voice murmured. As she slipped away into sleep, a name rose to her mind. A name to go with the kind voice.

Nick.

She had no idea how many hours later it was, but a hand was shaking her. She groaned, shoving at the thing on her shoulder pulling her out of sleep.

“Diane?”

She didn’t recognise the voice, but there was something urgent in the tone. Struggling, she sat up. Blinking, there was a woman in front of her, with an intense look on her face. To her surprise, Nick was there, blinking sleep from his own eyes too. Had he been sleeping beside her?

“Are you Diane?”

“Yes,” Diane managed.

“You have a sister? Sharon?”

“Yes,” Diane replied, her heart beating faster.

“I’ve just taken a message from her.” The woman’s face had some kind of complicated emotion and that second was the longest of Diane’s life as she teetered between relief and disaster. “She’s heard from David. He’s okay. Stuck in New York, but not hurt.”

Diane nodded, then everything hit her at once. “Oh thank God,” she squeaked, one hand pressing to her chest, the other to her mouth as tears started again. Relief this time, flooding through her like a tsunami, flooding the fear out of existence.

“Her son,” she heard Nick explain, presumably to this angel bringing her the best of news. The woman said something then bustled off, leaving Nick and Diane to themselves.

“Thank you,” Diane said, impulsively covering his hand with hers. “You were so kind earlier.”

“Of course,” Nick replied, blinking in surprise.

“Did you stay here all night?” Diane asked.

“Well, yes,” Nick said. He smiled awkwardly. “I did have to sleep somewhere. And you needed someone.”

“I did,” Diane replied. “Are you…what time is it?”

“Around four, I think,” Nick said. “Do you think you can sleep again?”

“Yes,” Diane said. The weight was lifted from her shoulders, but her body was still exhausted. She lay down again, a small thrill spiralling through her as Nick did the same. He wasn’t particularly close, but their hands were joined between them. “Thank you,” she said again.

He squeezed her hand in return, and his smile was the last thing she saw. _This is unexpected,_ she thought to herself. _Perhaps something good could come out of this after all._


End file.
